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Cat in Garden

Pet Health - Cats

tabby kitten in a playful stance

Congratulations on your new kitten! Thank you for choosing us to help protect and care for your new addition to your family.

Our kitten program is designed to help get your kitten started on the right path to a long and healthy life. The first few months are a critical period in your kitten’s development. We can give you the support and tools necessary to help him or her grow into a well-mannered and healthy cat, including information and advice on nutrition, behaviour and training.

We recommend scheduling your kitten in for his or her first exam as soon as possible. Kittens typically require 3 visits about 1 month apart, to complete their vaccinations and deworming. During your kitten’s first appointment, you will receive a complimentary kitten kit with a bag of Hills Healthy Advantage Kitten food, behavioural training tools, as well as information on preventative healthcare.

Until your kitten has received a series of vaccines, he or she is susceptible to many serious but preventable diseases. We will vaccinate your new family member against Rabies and Panleukopenia (Distemper). Depending on your cat’s risk, we may also advise vaccinating him or her against other diseases, such as Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). In addition, we will recommend a fecal sample to be tested and treated for parasites, which are common in young cats.

Most kittens have roundworms, which are intestinal worms that can cause coughing, weight loss, and a potbellied appearance in cats (although they may not cause any symptoms). It is important for kittens to be treated for roundworms, not only to help rid them of the infection but also to prevent you and the rest of your family from becoming infected. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite, which means they can be transmitted from pets to people. By ensuring that your kitten is treated, you can keep your entire family safe.

We recommend spaying or neutering your pet at six months of age. Spaying your female cat helps prevent uterine infections and decreases the risk of cancer, especially doing it before their first heat. Neutering your male cat prevents testicular cancer as well as other prostate problems. It also reduces undesirable behaviors caused by high levels of testosterone.

Cat laying down in the sun outside

Bringing your pet in for an annual diagnostic and wellness checkup can help reassure you that your cat is healthy as well as help us detect hidden diseases or conditions earlier on. Early detection can improve the prognosis of many diseases, keep medical costs down, and help your pet live longer. Many cats are good at hiding signs and masking their pain which means that subtle changes in their health or behaviour might be easy to overlook.

During your pet’s health exam, we will perform a physical assessment, checking your cat from nose to tail. We will also make sure your pet receives appropriate vaccinations and preventives. We will perform a diagnostic workup, which may include blood, fecal, and urine tests to check for parasites and underlying diseases. Diagnostic testing provides us with a baseline to know what's normal for your pet and enable us to keep track of any changes.

Older cat laying in cat bed

Once your cat turns 9 years of age, we recommend a minimum of a senior annual wellness exam to address specific needs for aging pets.  Cats age quicker than humans, so it is even more crucial for our companion animals to receive regular exams. In addition, the risks of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hormone disorders, kidney and liver problems all increase with age.

Some pets do not show any outward signs of illness until the disease is quite advanced. More advanced diseases can be more difficult to treat and are not always as responsive to treatment as diseases that are diagnosed early. Often, senior pets require medications, or develop conditions, both which require frequent monitoring.